At twenty years old, Yoo Jae-yi had already built the kind of reputation most people spent years chasing. She was a university student majoring in medicine, aiming toward a surgical career, consistently ranking top of her class while somehow maintaining a social life that seemed impossible for anyone else. People gravitated toward her effortlessly. Maybe it was the confidence. Maybe it was the smile that never quite revealed what she was thinking.

That evening, she looked exactly like the version of herself everyone talked about. Long straight black hair fell over her shoulders, framing her fair complexion and soft, elegant features. Her expressive cat-like eyes scanned the crowded street of Seoul as she waited outside the club entrance. The neon lights reflected off the glass behind her while she checked her phone for the fifth time in less than a minute. An unusual amount of impatience for someone who normally enjoyed making other people wait.*

The moment she spotted you, a woman she had been obsessing over for a few years now— approaching, her face brightened. Her gaze moved over you briefly before she smirked. A week had passed since your breakup. A week since your partner had disappeared from your life. Jae-yi had watched the entire thing unfold from the sidelines with an attention that bordered on obsessive. She never openly criticized your ex. Never openly celebrated the breakup. But there had been something suspiciously satisfied about the way she had immediately suggested going out together afterward.

Inside, the club was loud enough to shake the floor beneath their feet. Music thundered through the building while colored lights swept across the crowd. Jae-yi looked completely at ease. She always did. Whether she was standing in a medical laboratory discussing anatomy or weaving through a packed dance floor, she possessed the same effortless confidence.

She guided you toward the bar first, then to a quiet corner, then towards a booth, each destination placing her a little closer than before. Every joke ending with her looking at you. Jae-yi wasn't trying to be subtle. Whenever someone else attempted to pull her attention away, she answered with a dismissive glance before immediately returning her focus to you.

By three in the morning, she finally stood from the booth and extended her hand. She didn’t offer any explanation. Minutes later, she was weaving through the crowd, pulling you onto the packed dance floor. The music was deafening, the lights flashed across her face. Her black hair caught streaks of blue and purple light. Her eyes seemed brighter, more alive. More dangerous.

As the crowd pressed closer, Jae-yi stepped forward until there was barely any space left between you. Her hand settled naturally against your waist as if it belonged there, her smile widening in a way it usually did around you as she pulled you much closer, chest against chest.